Dual role
Encyclopedia
Dual role refers to one actor playing two or more roles, which may be deliberately scripted in a play or film, or merely be a by-product of a low budget. In a theatrical production where more than one actor plays multiple characters, it is sometimes referred to as an "Ironman" cast. In film and television, a dual rule is commonly used either for comic effect or to depict identical twins.
, such as in the works of absurdists
such as Tom Stoppard
, characters played by the same actor may be of thematic significance. A good example of this is Tony Kushner
's Angels in America
, which has a cast of eight despite having many roles. Debate exists over William Shakespeare
's use of such, with a famous example being whether the characters of Cordelia and the Fool in King Lear
are one and the same. In stage productions of Peter Pan
, it is a tradition for Mr. Darling and Captain Hook to be played by the same actor, a tradition often continued in film adaptations with the actors playing dual roles.
in movies such as Dr. Strangelove and Mike Myers
in the Austin Powers
films. In The Wizard of Oz
the farmhands also play the parts of the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow. The Prisoner of Zenda
, with its tale of lookalikes, has a long tradition of dual roles: from Lewis Stone
(1922
) to Ronald Colman
(1937
) to Stewart Granger
(1952
) to Peter Sellers (1979
). An early and unusual example is the 1925 silent film Lady of the Night
. Two women are portrayed by Norma Shearer
to spotlight their very different social classes; otherwise, nobody takes any notice of their identical appearance. Lee Marvin won a Academy Award for Best Actor
for his dual role in Cat Ballou
, while Nicolas Cage
was nominated for Adaptation.
More extreme cases exist. Buster Keaton
played nearly every part in his 1921 film The Playhouse
. Alec Guinness
brought to life all eight members of one family in Kind Hearts and Coronets
. Likewise, in The Nutty Professor
and its sequel
, Eddie Murphy
played the title character and almost every member of his family.
In Bollywood
, the "irony and excitement of having a living double has been exploited ad nauseum", becoming "almost a genre in itself". Angoor
(1982) features two pairs of identical twins, played by Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma
. Tamil film
actor M. N. Nambiar
played eleven parts in the early 1950s film Digambara Samiyar. [Note: In Digambara Saamiyar, M. N. Nambiar played role of sage 'Digambar Saamiyar' who take 9 disguises to defeat the evil lawyer. This sentence will be removed.] Another Tamil Indian film
actor, Kamal Hassan, had ten roles in the 2008 film Dasavathaaram (The Ten Avatars). Sivaji Ganesan
played nine roles in the Tamil film Navarathiri.
In some cases of low-budget films, or community theater, actors may play more than one role to save money. In one of Peter Jackson
's early films, Bad Taste
, he played two characters; in one scene, one of them tortures the other.
, soap opera
s commonly use the technique to either portray twins
(or even similar looking relatives), or to bring an actor back whose character has been killed. This technique is uncommon, although not unheard of, in primetime television. In Friends
, Lisa Kudrow plays Phoebe and her twin sister Ursula. David Schwimmer played a character in heavy make-up named Russ, who was a parody of Ross (played by Schwimmer), both of whom appear on screen together. In the Star Trek
episode called "Mirror, Mirror", the officers of the Enterprise switch places with their counterparts from a parallel universe, with the actors playing dual roles.
Notable soap opera examples include:
Notable primetime examples include:
Theatre
In theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, such as in the works of absurdists
Absurdism
In philosophy, "The Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any...
such as Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
, characters played by the same actor may be of thematic significance. A good example of this is Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner
Anthony Robert "Tony" Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for his play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film, Munich.-Life and career:Kushner was born...
's Angels in America
Angels in America
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is the 1993 Pulitzer Prize winning play in two parts by American playwright Tony Kushner. It has been made into both a television miniseries and an opera by Peter Eötvös.-Characters:...
, which has a cast of eight despite having many roles. Debate exists over William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's use of such, with a famous example being whether the characters of Cordelia and the Fool in King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
are one and the same. In stage productions of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
, it is a tradition for Mr. Darling and Captain Hook to be played by the same actor, a tradition often continued in film adaptations with the actors playing dual roles.
Film
In film, this technique has often been used for comic effect, examples being Peter SellersPeter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
in movies such as Dr. Strangelove and Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
in the Austin Powers
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
films. In The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
the farmhands also play the parts of the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow. The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus unable to attend his own coronation. Political forces are such that in order for the king to retain his crown his...
, with its tale of lookalikes, has a long tradition of dual roles: from Lewis Stone
Lewis Stone
Lewis Shepard Stone was an American actor.Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, son of Bertrand Stone and Philena Heald Ball. Stone's hair grew gray by the time he was twenty. He fought in the Spanish-American War, then returned to a career as a writer. He soon began acting...
(1922
The Prisoner of Zenda (1922 film)
The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1922 silent adventure film, one of the many adaptations of Anthony Hope's popular 1894 novel of the same name and the subsequent 1896 play by Hope and Edward Rose.-Plot:...
) to Ronald Colman
Ronald Colman
Ronald Charles Colman was an English actor.-Early years:He was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, the second son and fourth child of Charles Colman and his wife Marjory Read Fraser. His siblings included Eric, Edith, and Marjorie. He was educated at boarding school in Littlehampton, where he...
(1937
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 film)
The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1937 black-and-white adventure film based on the Anthony Hope 1894 novel of the same name and the 1896 play. Of the many film adaptations, this is considered by many to be the definitive version....
) to Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
(1952
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952 film)
The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1952 film version of the classic novel of the same name by Anthony Hope and a remake of the famous 1937 film version. This version was made by Loew's and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S...
) to Peter Sellers (1979
The Prisoner of Zenda (1979 film)
The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Richard Quine and adapted from the adventure novel by Anthony Hope, first published in 1894...
). An early and unusual example is the 1925 silent film Lady of the Night
Lady of the Night
Lady of the Night is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Monta Bell. The film stars Norma Shearer in a dual role.-Plot:Chris Helmer is sentenced to 20 years in prison by Judge Banning , and has to leave his wife and baby girl...
. Two women are portrayed by Norma Shearer
Norma Shearer
Edith Norma Shearer was a Canadian-American actress. Shearer was one of the most popular actresses in North America from the mid-1920s through the 1930s...
to spotlight their very different social classes; otherwise, nobody takes any notice of their identical appearance. Lee Marvin won a Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for his dual role in Cat Ballou
Cat Ballou
Cat Ballou is a 1965 comedy/Western film which tells the story of a woman who hires a famous gunman to protect her father's ranch, and later to avenge his murder, but finds that the man she hires is not what she expected...
, while Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
was nominated for Adaptation.
More extreme cases exist. Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
played nearly every part in his 1921 film The Playhouse
The Playhouse (film)
The Playhouse is a 1921 silent short film written, directed by, and starring Buster Keaton. The movie runs for 22 minutes, and is most famous for an opening sequence in which Keaton plays every role.- Plot :...
. Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
brought to life all eight members of one family in Kind Hearts and Coronets
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Kind Hearts and Coronets is a 1949 British black comedy feature film. The plot is loosely based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman, with the screenplay written by Robert Hamer and John Dighton and the film directed by Hamer...
. Likewise, in The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor (1996 film)
The Nutty Professor is a 1996 science fiction-romantic comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. It is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name, starring Jerry Lewis. The original music score was composed by David Newman. The film won an Academy Award for Makeup.Murphy plays benevolent university...
and its sequel
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps is a 2000 comedy film directed by Peter Segal. It is the sequel to the 1996 film The Nutty Professor and stars Eddie Murphy and Janet Jackson. Murphy plays not only the inept but brilliant scientist, Sherman Klump, as in the first film, but also most of Sherman's...
, Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
played the title character and almost every member of his family.
In Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
, the "irony and excitement of having a living double has been exploited ad nauseum", becoming "almost a genre in itself". Angoor
Angoor (film)
Angoor is a 1982 Bollywood Hindi comedy film. It is based on Shakespeare's play The Comedy of Errors.-Story:The film is about two pairs of identical twins separated at birth and how the circumstances go haywire when they meet in adulthood.Raj Tilak and his wife are on a trip with their twin sons...
(1982) features two pairs of identical twins, played by Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma
Deven Verma
Deven Varma is an Indian film and television actor, particularly known for his comic roles, with directors like Basu Chatterji, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar. He has also produced and directed some films including Besharam...
. Tamil film
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
actor M. N. Nambiar
M. N. Nambiar
M. N. Nambiar M. N. Nambiar M. N. Nambiar ( (born Manjeri Narayanan Nambiar 7 March 1919 — 19 November 2008) was a film actor in Tamil cinema and had been in the film industry for more than 50 years.-Biography:...
played eleven parts in the early 1950s film Digambara Samiyar. [Note: In Digambara Saamiyar, M. N. Nambiar played role of sage 'Digambar Saamiyar' who take 9 disguises to defeat the evil lawyer. This sentence will be removed.] Another Tamil Indian film
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
actor, Kamal Hassan, had ten roles in the 2008 film Dasavathaaram (The Ten Avatars). Sivaji Ganesan
Sivaji Ganesan
Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar , commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century. He is one of the most respected film actors in India. He is well known for his versatility and acting skills with...
played nine roles in the Tamil film Navarathiri.
In some cases of low-budget films, or community theater, actors may play more than one role to save money. In one of Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's early films, Bad Taste
Bad Taste
Bad Taste is a 1987 cult science fiction comedy horror film. Produced on a low budget, it is one of the first films directed by Peter Jackson. The film features Jackson and his friends taking a number of key roles, both on and off-screen...
, he played two characters; in one scene, one of them tortures the other.
Television
In televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s commonly use the technique to either portray twins
TWINS
Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
(or even similar looking relatives), or to bring an actor back whose character has been killed. This technique is uncommon, although not unheard of, in primetime television. In Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Lisa Kudrow plays Phoebe and her twin sister Ursula. David Schwimmer played a character in heavy make-up named Russ, who was a parody of Ross (played by Schwimmer), both of whom appear on screen together. In the Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode called "Mirror, Mirror", the officers of the Enterprise switch places with their counterparts from a parallel universe, with the actors playing dual roles.
Notable soap opera examples include:
- Chris KositchekChris KositchekChristopher Kositchek nicknamed Chris, is a former resident of the fictional town of Salem on the soap opera Days of our Lives. He was portrayed by Josh Taylor from 1977 until 1987. Josh currently plays the role of Roman Brady on Days.-Biography:...
and Roman BradyRoman BradyRoman Augustus Brady is a fictional character on the television drama Days of our Lives. Roman was played by Wayne Northrop from 1981 to 1984 and 1991 to 1994, and has been played by Josh Taylor since 1997, with a brief hiatus in early 2004, when he was a victim of the show's now-infamous serial...
(played by Josh TaylorJosh TaylorJosh Taylor is a long-time American comedy and dramatic television actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Chris Kositchek and Roman Brady on the long-running American dramatic serial Days of our Lives and as Michael Hogan, the father figure on NBC's long running situation comedy The...
) on Days of our Lives - AdamAdam ChandlerAdam Chandler, Sr. is a fictional character from the daytime drama All My Children, portrayed by David Canary from December 1983 through his departure on April 23, 2010. Adam Chandler was one of the most devious and powerful individuals within the town of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania...
and Stuart ChandlerStuart ChandlerStuart Chandler was a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama All My Children. He was a member of the powerful and wealthy Chandler family. He was portrayed by David Canary from October 1984 to May 28, 2009 & September, 2011.- Identical opposite :...
(played by David CanaryDavid CanaryDavid Hoyt Canary is an American actor, who starred in both soap operas and prime time television. He is best known for his roles as the ranch foreman, Candy Canaday on Bonanza and identical twins Adam Chandler from 1983 to 2010 and Stuart Chandler from 1984 to 2009 on the daytime serial, All My...
) in All My ChildrenAll My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. - Natalie Marlowe Dillon and Janet Marlowe Dillon (played by Kate Collins) in All My Children.
- Angie and Josie Russell (played by Laurie FoellLaurie FoellLaurie Foell is an Australian actress. She is best known for her portrayal of both Angela "Angie" Russell and her cousin Josie, on the successful Australian television soap opera Home and Away. Foell also starred as Dr...
) in Home and AwayHome and AwayHome and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
. - Kirsty Sutherland and Laura DeGroot (played by Christie HayesChristie HayesChristie Lynne Hayes is an Australian actress, best known for her work on the television series Home and Away as Kirsty Phillips who she played from June 2000 to February 2005 and again from May 2008 to October 2009. Hayes is the sister of actress Katherine Hayes.-Personal life:Hayes is the...
) in Home and AwayHome and AwayHome and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
. - Kristen Blake DiMera. Susan BanksSusan BanksSusan Delilah Crumb is a fictional character on NBC's daytime drama Days of our Lives. She was played by Eileen Davidson from November 4, 1996 to April 8, 1998. In November 2011, it was announced that Brynn Thayer would take over the role of Susan, since Davidson is committed to The Young and the...
, Sister Mary Moira Banks, Thomas Banks, and Penelope Kent (played by Eileen DavidsonEileen DavidsonEileen Davidson is an American film and soap opera actress. She is known for her role as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful and for the multiple roles she portrayed on Days of our Lives....
) Days of our Lives - Lily Snyder and her sister Rose D'Angelo (played by Martha ByrneMartha ByrneMary Martha Byrne is an American actress, singer and screenwriter.In 2008, she left CBS's As the World Turns as the passionate role of Lily Snyder. In 2009, she was featured on ABC's General Hospital as Andrea Floyd...
) in As the World TurnsAs the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. - VickyVicky HudsonVictoria "Vicky" Hudson Frame Harrison McKinnon was a fictional character on the NBC daytime soap opera Another World after AW was cancelled the character crossed over to the CBS daytime soap opera As the World Turns in 1999...
and Marley HudsonMarley HudsonMarley Love Hudson was a fictional character on the NBC daytime soap opera Another World. After AW was cancelled the character crossed over to the CBS daytime soap opera As the World Turns in 2000 to 2003.-References:...
(played by Ellen WheelerEllen WheelerEllen Wheeler is an American actress, director and producer. She has appeared in several soap operas, including Another World and All My Children. In 1986, she won the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Ingenue in a Drama Series" for her work as twins Marley and Vicky Love Hudson on Another World...
, Anne HecheAnne HecheAnne Celeste Heche is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She started her career on the daytime soap opera Another World, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991. Heche gradually landed supporting roles in feature films, and in 1997 appeared in I Know What You Did Last Summer,...
and Jensen BuchananJensen BuchananJensen Buchanan is an American actress, best known for portraying Sarah Gordon Buchanan #1 on One Life to Live....
) in Another WorldAnother World (TV series)Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
. - FrannieFrannie HughesFrances Jennifer "Frannie" Hughes is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns played by several actresses from 1973 to 1992, and most notably by Julianne Moore from April 2, 1985, to May 1988 and April 5, 2010....
and Sabrina HughesSabrina HughesSabrina Hughes is a fictional character in the daytime soap opera As the World Turns...
(played by Julianne MooreJulianne MooreJulianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
) in As the World Turns, - Katherine ChancellorKatherine ChancellorKatherine Chancellor Murphy is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless...
and Marge Cotrooke (played by Jeanne CooperJeanne CooperWilma Jeanne Cooper , best known as Jeanne Cooper, is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Katherine Chancellor on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless...
) on The Young and the Restless - Alex Devane MarickAlex Devane MarickDr. Alexandra "Alex" Devane Marick is a fictional character on the soap opera All My Children . She is played by British actress Finola Hughes who also plays Alex's twin sister Anna Devane.- Character history :...
and Anna DevaneAnna DevaneAnna Devane is a fictional character on the ABC soap operas General Hospital and All My Children...
(played by Finola HughesFinola HughesFinola Hughes is an English actress, television host, author and former dancer, best known for role as Anna Devane on the General Hospital, All My Children and General Hospital: Night Shift , and her role as Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Doctor Alexandra Devane Marick, on All My Children...
) in All My Children - Emily Quartermaine and Rebecca ShawRebecca ShawRebecca Shaw is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She debuted on January 15, 2009 and left December 22, 2009, and is portrayed by Natalia Livingston, who previously portrayed Rebecca's twin sister, the late Dr...
(portrayed by Natalia LivingstonNatalia LivingstonNatalia Livingston is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Emily Quartermaine and Rebecca Shaw on General Hospital and the role of Taylor Walker on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives before being replaced after a few months by ex General Hospital , ex Days of our Lives , and ex...
) in General Hospital - Hope Williams BradyHope Williams BradyHope Alice Brady is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. Created by writer William J. Bell, she is portrayed by Kristian Alfonso since she was SORASed to an adult in April 1983. Hope is a member of the Horton family, a very prominent fixture in Salem...
and Gina Von AmbergGina Von AmbergPrincess Gina Von Amberg is a fictional character on the American soap opera Days of our Lives. The role was portrayed from 1999 to 2001 by Kristian Alfonso, who also plays Hope Williams Brady on the series.- Character's background :...
(portrayed by Kristian AlfonsoKristian AlfonsoKristian-Joy Alfonso is a long-time American dramatic actress, former figure skater and fashion model. She is best known for playing Hope Williams Brady, which she has played since 1983 on the long-running NBC dramatic serial Days of our Lives.- Early career :She began her career as a figure...
) on Days of our Lives - Nikolas CassadineNikolas CassadinePrince Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera General Hospital. The role was originated by Tyler Christopher, who played the character from 1996–1999, and then after a four-year hiatus resumed the role in 2003 and left the show in 2011...
and Connor Bishop (played by Tyler Christopher) in General Hospital. - Frankie StoneFrankie StoneMary Frances "Frankie" Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson....
and Maggie StoneMaggie StoneMary Margaret "Maggie" Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson, who also portrayed Maggie's identical twin sister, Mary Frances "Frankie" Stone. The character comes to Pine Valley in early 2002 after the...
(portrayed by Elizabeth HendricksonElizabeth HendricksonElizabeth Hendrickson is an American actress. Her big break came when she was cast as character Frankie Stone on the daytime drama All My Children...
) on All My Children - Lily Montgomery and Ava Benton (portrayed by Leven RambinLeven RambinLeven Alice Rambin is an American actress. She is best known for playing look-alike half-sisters Lily Montgomery and Ava Benton on All My Children and her recurring roles in; Grey's Anatomy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, One Tree Hill and CSI: Miami.-Biography:Rambin was born in...
) on All My Children - EJ DiMera and Santo DimeraSanto DiMeraSanto DiMera is a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. He was portrayed by James Scott from July 9, 2007 to September 28, 2007. Scott reprised the role on August 20, 2008 as a figment of John's imagination....
(played by James ScottJames Scott (actor)James Scott is an English actor.His first major work in the United States was on the soap opera All My Children. Scott originated the role of Ethan Cambias in August 2004 and played it until February 2006...
) on Days of our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around... - Sami BradySami BradySamantha Gene "Sami" Hernandez is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. She was born onscreen on October 16, 1984, though was later SORASed to October 16, 1977. Created by head writer Margaret DePriest, Sami has been portrayed by Alison Sweeney since January 22, 1993...
and Colleen BradyColleen BradyColleen Mary Brady was a fictional character on the U.S. soap opera Days of our Lives. Her story was seen in flashbacks through the correspondence between Santo DiMera and herself...
(played by Alison SweeneyAlison SweeneyAlison Sweeney is an American dramatic actress and reality show host. Sweeney is best known for her portrayal of Samantha "Sami" Gene Brady on NBC's long running Days of our Lives, a role she has played under contract with the show since January 6, 1993...
) on Days of our Lives - Phyllis Summers NewmanPhyllis Summers NewmanPhyllis Summers Newman is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Phyllis has been portrayed by actress Michelle Stafford from the week of October 17–21, 1994 to February 17, 1997 and from July 13, 2000 to the present. From March 21, 1997 to February 22, 1999, the...
and Sheila CarterSheila CarterSheila Carter is a fictional character who appeared on both The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful...
(played by Michelle StaffordMichelle StaffordMichelle Stafford is an American actress, best known for her role as Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless.-Career:...
) in The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin... - Lauren Fenmore BaldwinLauren Fenmore BaldwinLauren Baldwin is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless and its "sister soap" The Bold and the Beautiful. She is portrayed by American actress Tracey E. Bregman...
and Sarah Carter (played by Tracey E. BregmanTracey E. BregmanTracey E. Bregman is an German-American soap opera actress. She is best known for the role of Lauren Fenmore on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful and for her role as Sarah Smythe on The Young and the Restless .-Personal life:She was born...
) on The Young and the Restless - Patty WilliamsPatty WilliamsPatricia Ann "Patty" Williams is a fictional character in the American soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by originating actress Tammy Taylor briefly in 1980 before Lilibet Stern took over the role from 1980 to 1983 and by Andrea Evans from 1983 to October 1984...
and Emily PetersonEmily PetersonDr. Emily Peterson is a fictional character in the American soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by actress Stacy Haiduk from October 13, 2009 to August 6, 2010, and again from November 29, 2011 to the present. Haiduk also did a dual role as Patty Williams on the show as well, but began...
(played by Stacy HaidukStacy HaidukStacy Haiduk is an American actress. She is known for playing Lana Lang on Superboy from 1988 to 1992, Katherine Hitchcock on season 1 of seaQuest DSV from 1993 to 1994, Hannah Nichols on All My Children from 2007 to 2008, and the dual roles of Patty Williams and Dr...
) in The Young and the Restless - Erica KaneErica KaneErica Kane is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children.The character has been portrayed by actress Susan Lucci since the show first aired in January 1970, until the last broadcast television episode aired in September 2011. Erica is considered to be the most popular...
and Jane Campbell (played by Susan LucciSusan LucciSusan Victoria Lucci is an American actress and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the daytime drama All My Children. The character is considered an icon, and Lucci has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the...
) in All My Children - Lily Parks and her sister Angelina Zacchara (portayed by Victoria JusticeVictoria JusticeVictoria Justice is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and dancer. She debuted as an actress at the age of 10 and has since appeared in several films and television series including the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 and Victorious...
) on up and coming soap opera California bay - Colleen Murray Lambardi and Maureen "Isabella" Murray Carmichael (played by Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo) on California bay
- Ashley Manning Brooks and Marnie Manning (played by Melissa Joan HartMelissa Joan HartMelissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
) on California bay - Patrcia Parks and her cousin Pandora Morgan (played by Marcy RylanMarcy RylanMarcy Rylan is an American actress.-Career:Rylan is best known for her role as Lizzie Spaulding on the soap opera Guiding Light. She joined the show's cast on February 7, 2006 taking over the role from Crystal Hunt, until the finale on September 18, 2009...
) on California bay
Notable primetime examples include:
- Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce (played by Nina DobrevNina DobrevNina Dobrev is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mia Jones, the single teenage mother, on Degrassi: The Next Generation, from the show's sixth to ninth season...
in The Vampire DiariesThe Vampire DiariesThe Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
) - Emma Becker and Sutton Mercer twin sisters (played by Alexandra ChandoAlexandra ChandoAlexandra Chando is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Maddie Coleman on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns, which she began in 2005, and currently stars in 2011 in the ABC Family original series The Lying Game along with a few other popular stars such as Blair...
in The Lying GameThe Lying GameThe Lying Game is an American drama television series produced by Alloy Entertainment and Warner Horizon Television for ABC Family. The show is based on a series of novels of the same name by Sara Shepard. The network green-lighted the series in February 2011 with a 10 episode order, with the...
) - Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin twin sisters (played by Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
in RingerRinger (TV series)Ringer is an American television series that premiered on The CW on September 13, 2011. The series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays twin sisters Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin...
) - American Patty Lane and her ScottishScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
cousin Cathy Lane (played by Patty DukePatty DukeAnna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
) in The Patty Duke ShowThe Patty Duke ShowThe Patty Duke Show is an American sitcom which ran on ABC from September 18, 1963, until May 4, 1966, with reruns airing through August 31, 1966. The show was created as a vehicle for rising star Patty Duke...
) - Samantha and cousin Serena (played by Elizabeth MontgomeryElizabeth MontgomeryElizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
) in BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
) - Jeannie and her sister (also named Jeannie) (played by Barbara EdenBarbara EdenBarbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
) in I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
) - Laura PalmerLaura PalmerLaura Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Her death was the catalyst for the events of the series...
and Maddy Ferguson (played by Sheryl LeeSheryl LeeSheryl Lee is an American actress. She came to international attention for her performances as Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks and in the 1992 film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me...
) in Twin PeaksTwin PeaksTwin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
) - Martin Payne and multiple various characters (played by Martin LawrenceMartin LawrenceMartin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
) in MartinMartin (TV series)Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
) - Dorothy ZbornakDorothy ZbornakDorothy Hollingsworth , is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, portrayed by Bea Arthur for 7 years and 183 episodes. Dorothy was the strong, sarcastic, sometimes intimidating, and arguably most grounded of the four women in the house...
and her grandmother Eleanor Petrillo (played by Beatrice ArthurBeatrice ArthurBeatrice "Bea" Arthur was an American actress, comedienne and singer whose career spanned seven decades. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, winning Emmy Awards for both...
) in The Golden GirlsThe Golden GirlsThe Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
) - Steve UrkelSteve UrkelSteven Quincy Urkel, generally known as Steve Urkel or simply Urkel, is a fictional character on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters, portrayed by Jaleel White...
and multiple various characters (played by Jaleel WhiteJaleel WhiteJaleel Ahmad White is an American actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing the character of Sonic the Hedgehog and other characters for Sonic the Hedgehog media....
) in Family Matters) - Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
and various characters (played by Tom WellingTom WellingThomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
) in SmallvilleSmallville (TV series)Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
) - John LockeJohn Locke (Lost)John Locke is a fictional character played by Terry O'Quinn on the ABC television series Lost. He is named after English philosopher John Locke...
and the Man in BlackMan in Black (Lost)The entity referred to most frequently as the Man in Black is a fictional character on the American ABC television series Lost, and is the main antagonist of the...
(played by Terry O'QuinnTerry O'QuinnTerry O'Quinn is an American actor, most famous for playing John Locke on the TV series Lost. He made his debut in a 1980 television movie called F.D.R.: The Last Year. Since then, O'Quinn has had minor supporting roles in films and TV movies such as Young Guns, All the Right Moves, Silver Bullet,...
) on LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
) - Phoebe HalliwellPhoebe HalliwellPhoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Phoebe is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot,...
and P. Russell (played by Alyssa MilanoAlyssa MilanoAlyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
in CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
) - Piper HalliwellPiper HalliwellPiper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the...
and P. Baxter (played by Holly Marie CombsHolly Marie CombsHolly Marie Combs is an American film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed as Piper Halliwell and another in Picket Fences, where she received a Young Artist Award for her role, as Kimberly Brock...
in CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
) - Prue HalliwellPrue HalliwellPrudence "Prue" Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. Prue is depicted as one of the featured leads as she fulfills her role as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time...
and P. Bowen (played by Shannen DohertyShannen DohertyShannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
in CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
) - Paige Halliwell and The Evil Enchantress (played by Rose McGowanRose McGowanRose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
in CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
) - Numerous members of the cast of FringeFringe (TV series)Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
play versions of their characters from a parallel universe. - The cast of ((Once Upon a Time)) with the exception of Jennifer Morrison and Jared S. Gilmore.